Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-08-03
A Colossal Railroad Scheme that In
terests Alpena.

In our bellef 1t Will not be many
years before Alpena is connected
by direct rail with the Lake Superior
region, with the great northwest, and
with the States on the Pacific coast.
The main trunk lines, especially for
freight, will come by this city. because
the grade along the shore route is
much less than in the interior of the
State. Therefore the citizens here are
interested in the railway extensions of
the upper peninsula and the following,
from the Free Press is worthy of at
tention:
Facts which have come to the
knowledge of the Free Press within
the past few days show that the pres
ent trip of Gen. Alger, Chauncey M.
Depew, and Henry b. Ledyard to
Europe is one involving railroad
scheme of the largest magnitude. 1t
appears that Gen. Ayers success with
the Detroit, Bay City d Alpena Road
has made him feel that it was desira-
bic to enter the lists with James Nc
MILAN, as a competitor for the traffic
of the Northwestern States, particu-
larly the Lake Superior region. BY
the consolidation of the Detroit,
Mackinac & Marquette, Houghton q
Ontonagon Railway, as the Duluth,
South Shore q Atlantic Railway,
line has been formed under Mr.. Nc
Millan's management which, when
fully completed, will connect Duluth
with western termini of the Grand
Trunk and Canadian Pacific Roads
at Sault Ste. Marie. The traffic over
these lines, it is evident, going by way
of Montreal to Portland and Boston,
will benefit only the Canadian Roads
for the greater portion of the distance
to the seaboard. How to meet this
and direct the traffic through the Uni
ted States territory has been the study
of Eastern trunk line managers for
some time, and Notwithstanding the
distance from Minneapolis and Duluth
in an almost direct line to the seaboard
over the Canadian roads, is some hun
dreds of miles less than by any Amer
lean route, the project has been Crap
pied, and from reliable authority it is
learned that the Messrs. Alger, Led
yard, and Depew are on their way to
Europe for the sole purpose ofplacing
100000 of the bonds of the con-
templated road with English capital
lists.
The movements of the syndicate en-
gagged in exploiting the new system,
which is to bring the vast traffic of
the Northwest via Detroit to the east
ern shipping points have been as eau
tious and secret as they have thus far
proven successful. Mr. Depew, as the
chief representative Of the vast Van
derbilt interests, was the first whom
Gen. Alger approached in the matter
and the plan instantly commended it.
self to the shrewd and successful man
ager 1t is the design to build an en-
tirely new line of road from the Straits
of Mackinac to Duluth, running mid
way between the consolidated Duluth,
South Shore d Atlantic Road, of
which Mr. Mcmillan is President, and |
the Milwaukee, Lake Shore q West
ern, and the Chicago q Northwestern
Roads, which now skirt the southern
boundaries of the Upper Peninsula,
and the contemplated Minneapolis,
Sault st. Marie d Atlantic Road,
which will follow the coast of Lake
Michigan from Bay de Noquet to Sault
Ste. Marie, and the construction of
which is already well under way.
The road will travel one Of the rich
est timber and mineral districts in the
world and be sufficiently remote rom
the parallel lines to enjoy a profitable
local traffic. Gen. Alger and Mr..
Depew then laid the project before T.
F. Oaks, Vice President and General
Manager of the Northern Pacific, and
ii. B. Ledyard, of the Michigan
Central. with which lines it was pro-
posed the new road should connect.
The result was successful in each in
stance, Messrs. Cakes and Ledyard
becoming interested in the proposed
new road to an agreeable proportion
in interest. and securing from their
respective companies contracts upon
which the business Of the three roads
is to be conducted. Only one other
gentleman is known to belong to the
syndicate having this project in view,
being Mr.. Allan Sheldon, of this city,
although overtures are known to have
been made to other wealthy men, both
in Detroit and other localities. To
one of these Gen. Alger said: 1--WE
already have 100000 available for
this purpose and expect to secure the |